


Heartbreakers

by FleetRed



Category: Team Fortress 2
Genre: F/F, F/M, Feelings, ask to tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-21
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-12-04 22:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11564832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FleetRed/pseuds/FleetRed
Summary: Scout tells Pauling exactly how he feels, with no room for misunderstanding. She returns the favor.





	1. Chapter 1

“Don’t you break her heart, Jeremy.”

“I know, Ma. I would never break a lady’s heart.”

“That’s what your father said,” Scout’s mother retorted. “Twice.”

Scout sighed. He was serious about Miss Pauling. Every toss of her hair, every flustered order, and every determined plan she came up with, everything she did made Scout’s heart flutter. He’d never felt like this before. He was going to tell her that he really wanted a chance with her – just a chance. So he gave his Ma a call for some advice.

He’d been down this road before, but apparently Pauling really needed things spelled out because she never seemed to understand what he was saying. Or she’d get distracted with something about Australium. Going to Spy for advice hadn’t been one of Scout’s better ideas; Spy knew how to woo women, but he didn’t know how to be a good partner. So Scout asked his mother instead. 

“I don’t want you to get overwhelmed with commitment and then abandon her,” Jeremy’s mother pleaded. Scout had never tried to hurt anyone, but it was easy to understand why his mother was worried. Jeremy’s past was littered with summer flings and a few semi-serious relationships. He lived fast and went through girlfriends even faster. But at 26 years old and head over heels in love with the girl of his dreams, he was ready to start getting serious. 

Plus, having recently died and come back, he knew that he had to make a move before it was too late.

“We can take it slow,” Jeremy reassured her. He knew that his mother had made some mistakes in the past and was just trying to keep him from making the same ones. He felt safer knowing that he at least knew a little bit more about communicating with his partners than his mother had at his age – and about condoms. 

But his mother was feeling particularly raw in the last few months. For the last eight years, she had been rekindling her relationship with her son’s estranged father. They were trying to take it slow, but their romance was passionate. Scout recalled this with a wince. 

But, during the summer, Scout’s father had cruelly abandoned his partner once again. This time, for another, younger woman.

Scout thanked his mother and left to talk to Pauling. He would be the best boyfriend ever. No one was getting their heart broken today.


	2. Chapter 2

“Ms. Pauling,” Scout said to the back of Ms. Pauling’s head, blushing. Pauling turned around.

“Can I ask you a question real quick?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “What do you think about a date? With me. A romantic one. In the pursuit of an ongoing romantic relationship.”

Ms. Pauling stared at him and blinked. She was about to say something about Australium before he started going off. She knew that he would eventually ask her in a way that she wouldn’t be able to deflect it. She thought for a moment and took a deep breath. 

“Scout, you’re a great guy, but I can’t be with you. I’m gay.”

His response was immediate. “No you’re not! Who said you was gay? Why do you think you’re gay? You’re great!”

Ms. Pauling was offended for a second, thinking that he was policing her identity. But when she saw Scout’s genuine expression and gesticulating, she could tell that he wasn’t assuming anything about her sexuality – he was just an idiot.

“What do you think ‘gay’ means, Scout?” she asked. 

“Gay, like lame. You’re not lame, you’re one of the most smartest and talentedest people I know! No one thinks you’re gay!” Scout replied frantically.

“No, Scout, it means that I’m attracted to women.”

Scout paused. “But you are a woman.”

“Yes.”

“OK…I’m attracted to women too. Does that mean I’m gay?”

“No, it means you date the same sex. Gay men date men, gay women date women.”

“Oh.” Scout paused. “Hold on, I have a question about Heavy and Medic. You know what, never mind it’s not important. OK, OK, actually, this explains a lot.”

Ms. Pauling raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” 

“Yeah, I mean like the way you were looking at Zhanna when she was naked and fighting those robots. Cause you like girls.”

Ms. Pauling winced. She hadn’t thought that anybody had noticed her checking out Zhanna’s buff, honey-covered body in the heat of battle. She imagined it would be especially dramatic if Soldier figured it out. “Uh, yeah, I would prefer if you didn’t tell people about that. Or about this conversation, at all.”

“OK.” Scout scanned the floor. “So…so it ain’t gonna happen, right?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“Alright. I just wanted to know for sure. OK,” said Scout, crestfallen and fidgeting. He took a step toward the door. “I’ll see you around. Don’t let anyone give you crap for being lame, alright?”

“Gay.” 

“Oh, right.”

Ms. Pauling had prepared for this conversation, but not for the sound of her co-worker’s shattered heart. “Don’t worry Scout, you really are a catch. I bet loads of girls who aren’t gay would be happy to be with you.”

Scout laughed once and grinned. “Oh, I know that, Ms. Pauling. I’m God’s gift to the world.”


	3. Chapter 3

Ms. Pauling turned a corner and nearly jumped as she heard a velvety voice. Then she cursed herself; she really should have smelled the cigarettes a mile away. She thought that, after spending so much time with her, Spy would lose his ability to sneak up on Ms. Pauling--but he's still got it.

"Are you still using that excuse, Darling?" Spy purred as he appeared in front of her. 

"You say that like there's no truth to it," Ms. Pauling replied. 

"There's less truth now than there was, I suppose." Spy walked towards Ms. Pauling and put hands on her waist. His blue eyes were familiar yet captivating. 

Ms. Pauling returned the embrace and put her ear against Spy's chest. "What else was I supposed to tell him? He can never know about us."

Spy kissed the top of Ms. Pauling's head. Despite how old he was, he's still got it.

"Of course," he said. "We'll be keeping this from everyone. The truth would only break their hearts."


End file.
